Raymond Chandler - Trouble is My Business & Other Short Stories

Read by Elliott Gould
Format: MP3
Unabridged

Red Wind – 1hr 38min
"There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch."
Before there was Philip Marlowe, there was John Dalmas, a character very much like Marlowe. (In some later editions of this short story, the protagonist's name is actually changed to Marlowe's.) Here, he investigates a series of murders in classic hard-boiled fashion.

Trouble is My Business – 1hr 53min - 40kbps
Private eye John Dalmas sets out to rescue a rich young playboy from the clutches of a fortune-hunting redhead and a blackmailing gambler. But as he through the seamy underside of L.A.'s wealth and glitz, he keeps bumping into dead bodies...Johnny Dalmas appeared in several of Raymond Chandler's early stories published in Dime Detective. By the time The Big Sleep was published in 1939 his character had evolved into Philip Marlowe. In this recording we have chosen to use the original name. Trouble Is My Business exhibits the hard-edged humor, taut languages, and unexpected plot twists that later made Philip Marlowe Famous is Chandler's novels.

Mandarin's Jade & Other Stories (1996) – 4hrs 29min
This collection includes "Mandarin's Jade," "Try the Girl," and "The Man Who Liked Dogs," originally published in detective magazines in the 1930s. These fast-paced stories are similar in style and intensity, as well as in classic clichés and similes, and are set in a time of sedans with running boards and whiskey that could be bought for a nickel. While one has some difficulty distinguishing between characters, the distinctive voice of Elliot Gould adds a comfortable familiarity to the listening experience. This nostalgic selection offers an authentic taste of the early days of American crime fiction.

Read by Elliott Gould
Format: MP3
Unabridged